1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1981st year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 981st year of the 2nd millennium, the 81st year of the 20th century, and the 2nd year of the 1980s decade.

Millennium: 2nd millennium
Centuries: 19th century20th century21st century
Decades: 1950s  1960s  1970s  – 1980s –  1990s  2000s  2010s
Years: 1978 1979 198019811982 1983 1984

Events change

Births change

Deaths change

January change

 
Harold Urey
 
Beulah Bondi

February change

 
Bill Haley

March change

 
Max Delbrück

April change

 
Omar Bradley
 
Joe Louis

May change

 
Nargis
 
Bob Marley
 
Stefan Wyszyński
 
Soong Ching-ling
 
Ziaur Rahman
 
Giuseppe Pella

June change

 
Terry Fox

July change

 
William Wyler

August change

 
Melvyn Douglas
 
Béla Guttmann
 
Mohammad-Ali Rajai

September change

 
Albert Speer
 
Robert Montgomery
 
Rómulo Betancourt

October change

 
Gloria Grahame
 
Anwar Sadat
 
Moshe Dayan

November change

 
William Holden
 
Natalie Wood

December change

 
Ferruccio Parri

Movies released change

Hit songs change

  • "The Tide Is High" – Blondie
  • "Celebration" – Kool & The Gang (2)
  • "9 To 5" – Dolly Parton (2)
  • "I Love A Rainy Night" – Eddie Rabbitt (2)
  • "Keep On Loving You" REO Speedwagon (1)
  • "Rapture" – Blondie (2)
  • "Kiss On My List" – Daryl Hall & John Oates (3)
  • "Morning Train (9 To 5)" – Sheena Easton
  • "Bette Davis Eyes" – Kim Carnes
  • "Stars On 45 Medley" – Stars On 45 (1)
  • "The One That You Love" – Air Supply (1)
  • "Jessie's Girl" – Rick Springfield
  • "Endless Love" – Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (9)
  • "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" – Christopher Cross (3)
  • "Private Eyes" – Daryl Hall & John Oates
  • "Physical" – Olivia Newton-John

New books change